#Trending in Health

Here, 5 healthy trends that we hope are here to stay

#Longevi-Tea

Green tea has our vote for the best superdrink for long life. This flavonoid-rich beverage has antioxidant properties, and multiple studies have shown that drinkers of green tea live longer and live better – with less disability in their old age. To soak up all of green tea’s benefits, be sure to brew it right. Steep it for three to five minutes, then drink it right away.  —Lisa Bendall

#ChefsAsFoodDoctors

Local, provenance, organic, farm to table – chefs are at the forefront of all that’s good about eating and cooking now. They’ve convinced our tastebuds that disease-fighting ingredients like organic arugula and pesticide-free heirloom beets mixed with in-season, locally grown blueberries and grass-fed goat’s cheese are as pleasing to the palate as a burger and fries. So go ahead, have it their way. You’ll be healthier for it.  —Vivian Vassos

#BeautifulHormones

Happily, there’s a change in attitude toward the change of life. Beauty companies such as Calgary-based Visage de Bebe address age-related collagen loss with its new collagen serum, and France’s Lierac has launched Magnificence, a line of products for pre- and peri-menopausal skin; both are aimed at late 40s- and early 50s-aged skin. In medicine, doctors such as Toronto-based Ryan Yermus of Life Balance work with men suffering from andropause by tackling associated low testosterone, depression and decreased mental sharpness through supplements, medications and exercise.  —VV

#MentalHealth

Thanks to military personnel, firefighters, police officers, paramedics and celebrities who’ve owned up to the pain of post-traumatic stress disorder, mental health issues have come out of the closet. More 65-plus folks are seeing doctors about mental troubles, yet the suicide rate for men over 80 is Canada’s highest. Olympian Clara Hughes recently cycled 12,000 kilometres around Canada encouraging action on these issues. We’re getting it – there’s no shame in mental illness, just suffering and a need for heartfelt support.  —Jayne MacAulay

#Kindness

When did the world turn rude and cranky? Try embarking on a few random acts of kindness to feel pretty darn good. In Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life, Dacher Keltner found we’ve evolved to be co-operative. Helping others can light up pleasure points in the brain.  —JMac

 

Zoomer magazine, September 2014